March, 2009:

I had been up late the previous night surfing some Tibetan websites, and was lying in, not feeling like getting up early, when an unannounced stranger came into my room and woke me up. By then it was about 10 am. I got out of bed and asked him what he wanted. He told me he was from Dechen County Public Security and had come to ask me a few questions. He asked how many teachers there were at the school, where was my native place, and so on. Realising what this was about, I answered him while putting on my underwear. But he didn’t understand me, and laughing, he said he would go find someone who could, and stepped back out of the door. I had folded the bedding and was putting on my clothes when he came back. He said a few things in Chinese, which I could not follow (he spoke Chinese in the Yunnan dialect and I actually could not understand him at all). (more…)

Despite of the Chinese government’s emphasis on national unity, identity politics is still an important part of people’s daily life in today’s China and following is what Tsanglo Tenshag has got to say about being a Tibetan student in a college in China pre March 2008. (See the orinal article in Tibetan)

《中华民族大团结》The Great Unity of Chinese Nationalities, painted by 叶浅予(1907-1995)

Having been ill these past few days, and unable to eat, I did not have the fortune to set foot in the college canteen. Today I was feeling a little better, and went there when noodle soup was being served. I took my place at the end of a long line queuing for soup. Reaching the cashier desk, I had taken a large plate and was waiting in line, when a 30 year old Chinese woman ahead of me in the line pulled the plate away from me. Without paying much attention, I pulled it back towards me. What is wrong with taking a step forward to get a plate? This is the first time I have seen or heard of anyone trying to snatch a plate from another’s hands. The Chinese woman went on ahead, and just so, I remained waiting in line. (more…)